Youth Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-25
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Catherine Ardagh (FF), Dublin South-Central

I want to raise the decision by the Department not to award funding to the Ballyfermot Youth Service under this year's community safety innovation fund. It is a service that for the past two years has been supported by the innovation fund to employ three highly effective staff members, namely, two workers based in the adventure centre and skate park and a dedicated psychotherapist providing essential mental health support to our vulnerable young people.
Unfortunately, Ballyfermot is an area with a high prevalence of suicide among young men. These vital posts are, therefore, vital and working hard for the community.
I visited the project recently and want to put on record how impressive it is. You walk into the beautiful skate park that has been there for a while and there is not one bit of graffiti. It is minded so well by the boys and the local community. It is a beacon of hope and a fantastic park. People come from all over Dublin to see it and skate on it. It is a community hub. Every afternoon it is full of young people. What makes it special is it is not just a facility; people are building relationships with the staff and with each other. The staff know the risks. They know who is struggling at home, who needs guidance and who to pull aside for help and community support. It is a preventative-type relationship. It is relationship based.
The essence of the project is community safety. Over the past two years, the funding has enabled diversion from antisocial behaviour. It is just the tip of the iceberg but it has reduced engagement by kids with scramblers and in street disorder and has created a structured, safe environment for young people who might otherwise be on the margins.
The psychotherapist post has been vital. Many of these young people do not have anywhere else to go. Mental health crises are on the rise and early intervention in a trusted youth-friendly setting is not something I would like to see lost. Previous Ministers have visited the area and used the skate park because it makes for good pictures with politicians. The fact it was not funded again was pretty devastating for the centre. The Minister has to come out. I am inviting him out to see the skate park and the work being done. I saw first hand how that work strengthens the community and the engagement with social workers on site.
Without this funding, two front-line posts will be lost within weeks. This places the entire project at risk. Because the staff are there and the children are attending, the place is kept immaculate. Will the Minister review this? It is essential. We speak in this House about early intervention and diversion, especially in relation to disadvantaged areas. We speak about community partnerships. I can say hand on my heart that this project is delivering for young boys and young men in Ballyfermot.
Will the Minister consider the decision in relation to the Ballyfermot youth centre, or identify an alternative funding mechanism, ideally on a multi-annual basis, to ensure these posts and this centre can thrive? I extend a sincere invitation to him to visit the service. We might get him on a skateboard. It is something he needs to see and appreciate to get a proper vision of what is going on here.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-25